The operations of inserting machines, for inserting one or more documents into an envelope, can be controlled by the provision of coded marks printed on the document, the marks being adapted to be read by the inserter. The reading of the marks may be effected optically. For example, the marks may indicate to the inserter that the current document is the first sheet of a collation, the end of a collation (EOC) etc.
In one marking system, the coded marks are preceded, in the direction of movement of the document, by a "benchmark", so that the position of a mark with respect to the benchmark determines its control function. Another type of marking system, however, employs a benchmark situated to be read in the reverse order of first above discussed system. Typically, an inserter system is dedicated to handling control marks for only one marking systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,468, Piotroski, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,790, Gomes, et al, disclose in inserting apparatus and equipment wherein one or more modules are provided to feed documents, for example from webs of computer print-out forms, to a transport unit. Typically, control marks provided on control documents processed by the module are read at a scanning station in the module to provide control and other information for the inserter system. The control marks may also, or alternatively, be provided on other than control documents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,928, Sheldon, discloses a coded document actuated device wherein the document itself carries a character that identifies the format that is to be employed for the remainder of the code of the document. The format character controls the decoding of the data characters that are read from a data buffer. This system, which is not concerned with inserters, is only controlled to decode the data, and is limited to a single format of the data.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,982, PeBenhofer, discloses a conveying system with branches for directing objects in different paths, wherein code marks determine the direction of branching of objects. The system is adaptable only to the use of coding information of one format.